[Clinical evaluation of adriamycin in advanced and recurrent breast cancer (No. 4)--Joint study by 30 institutes on the duration of remission using various maintenance therapies in patients treated with CAF. Clinical Study Group of Adriamycin for Breast Cancer in Japan].

In order to further extend the duration of remission induced by high-dose CAF therapy, maintenance therapies based on long-term oral administration of cyclophosphamide and fluorouracil (CF) were applied for patients with advanced and recurrent breast cancer. The duration of remission was compared by the envelope method among the basic therapy (Arm I), Arm I plus intermittent administration of adriamycin (Arm II) and Arm I plus tamoxifen from the start of high-dose CAF therapy (Arm III). The response rate of 163 evaluable patients in 30 institutes was 42.1% (27/57) and 44.4% (25/54) for Arm I and Arm II (CAF therapy). The rate for Arm III (CAF therapy) was 61.5% (32/52), a little higher than that for the other two. As side effects due to the induction therapy, alopecia, fatigue, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, and leukopenia were observed in a relatively high proportion of patients. Mean values of CR duration, PR duration and the whole duration of remission in responding patients were 14.0 approximately 21.5 weeks, 24.0 approximately 32.2 weeks and 28.0 approximately 42.6 weeks, respectively, without any significant difference among the three groups given different maintenance therapies. The mean values of survival duration in responding patients were 27.1, 22.0 and 17.2 months, respectively for Arm I, Arm II and Arm III no significant difference being recognized in this point, either.